The design of implantable medical devices presents many challenges. For example, the size of the implantable medical device has to be small enough to fit within a designated area in the human body. Moreover, the smaller the device, the more likely the device will be tolerated by the body and not interfere with functions of the body. Further the housing (packaging) of the medical devices needs to provide a hermetic seal to separate the internal circuits of the device from the bodily fluids of the patient. In addition, the material used to make the housing of the device needs to be bio-stable. That is, the material should have a minimal dissolving rate when exposed to bodily fluids to prevent conductive traces and other features of the implantable medical devices from being exposed to the bodily fluids before an end of a life expectancy period of the implantable medical device.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for an embedded metallic structure in glass that can be used in a device that provides a desired housing thickness and in some embodiments provides an effective hermetic seal and is bio-stable.